alike.com.ph—After preaching to the British Royal Family, Bishop Michael Curry is now ready to take on the White House. The The Royal Wedding’s unexpected scene-stealer is taking part in an upcoming protest at the US capital. He plans to use his newfound fame to highlight Christian values among the country’s leaders. Around 1,000 people are expected to attend the protest which will be held at Lafayette Square, just across the presidential residence.
“This weekend I spoke about the way of love. As elders, we view bringing the Reclaiming Jesus declaration to the public square as a tangible example of how to live out that way of love,” expressed Bishop Curry in a released statement. The first-ever African-American leader of the Episcopal church will be joined by other prominent Christian leaders. These include the former General Minister of the Christian Church, Rev. Sharon Watkins, and the former pastor of New York’s Riverside Church, Rev. James Forbes. They will all preach about the importance of Christian values in this politically-divisive time.
This event presents a conflict to citizens who believe that church and state should remain separate. In this politically-charged time, several priests and pastors attracted criticism for incorporating politics in their sermons. Some even endorsed President Trump during the 2016 elections, which many deemed inappropriate. While Bishop Curry and other church leaders plan to focus on upholding Christian values, the protest is also a criticism on the current administration.
This conflict is also prevalent in our country’s own government. The church’s overwhelming influence on lawmakers today has divided the country. Some politicians have caught public ire for invoking their religious beliefs in their policy-making. Church influence on government has isolated various marginalized sectors in the country, particularly the LGBT+ community and single parents. Some recent examples are the debate on the SOGIE bill, also known as the Anti-Discrimination Bill, and Tito Sotto’s controversial remarks about Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo being a single mom. A large portion of the country, however, still sees religious beliefs as essential in lawmaking and governance.
While Bishop Curry doesn’t see himself as a politician, he does stress that church leaders still have a responsibility defend Christian values in government. “We are Christian leaders bearing moral witness to the teachings of our faith in the public square. As citizens, we want our government to reflect our values. As a Bishop, I believe we should follow the teachings of Jesus, who taught us to love God and thy neighbor,” Bishop Curry said.
Do you think that the church should still have say on how leaders govern the country?
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